- Substance use is associated with a higher likelihood of remaining unemployed and requiring unemployment benefits1.
- It is also linked to higher rates of negative behavioral outcomes such as aggression, arrest, and suicide attempts1.
- Substance use may also raise the risk of medical complications such as seizures.
- Substance use is related to increased length of inpatient stay, increased severity and duration of agitated behaviors, poorer cognitive functioning, and lower medical adherence1.
- Those who engage in substance use post-injury report lower levels of social interaction and diminished quality of life compared to those who are abstinent post-injury.
- They are also at higher risk of arrest2.
References
- Kelly, M., Johnson, C., Knoller, N., Drubach, D., & M Winslow (1997). Substance abuse, traumatic brain injury and neuropsychological outcome, Brain Injury, 11, 391–402.
- Bogner, J., Corrigan, J., Mysiw, W., Clinchot, D., & L. Fugate (2001). A comparison of substance abuse and violence in the prediction of long-term rehabilitation outcomes after traumatic brain injury. Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 82, 5, 571-577.